Farm-to-table is the newfangled culinary label that prepares the diner's palate for a fresh from the field experience. The Warehouse, one of Gainesville's newest restaurants is not only tantalizing our taste buds with fresh and yummy but is kicking this "f-to-t" term up a notch (sorry, Emeril) by going from "Tractor to Table."
Literally, The Warehouse, located in the up and coming Downtown Main Street and Depot Road area is a revitalized well, warehouse, complete with towering loft-like ceilings which was a perfect location for its original inhabitants 70 years...International Harvester Tractors. The last 30 years it was home to an import auto parts store!
Now this location has quite successfully traded selling spark plugs and carburetors to dishing up sauteed spinach and crabmeat! Whether selecting from their lunch or dinner menu, each seemingly traditional dish offers a new, delectable twist. Take the Warehouse Steak Fries for instance. In their most basic form they are lightly, cripsy, slightly salty fried Yukon gold potatoes. But that's where the basic stops --- okay, halts. These delightful potato planks only get better when dipped in your choice of Goat cheese fondue (velvety, creamy, yummy), roasted pepper ketchup (zippy and not your everyday burger condiment), mushroom fondue (earthy and delighful) or roasted garlic aioli (rich, Italian goodness in a bowl). Really, there are no bad choices here; it's just that actually making a choose is truly the challendge. But here's a tip -- ask your server if perhaps you can have more than one ramekin of heavenly dipping sauce which was most assuredly prepared by gifted foodie gods!
And a dining experience wouldn't be complete until you sink your teeth into the heavenly puffs of the apricot beignets. The vanilla creme anglaise is literally the "icing on the cake!" so to speak.
Since opening in May, The Warehouse has quickly developed a strong cult following. And with the literal roadblocks due to the Depot Road corridor construction and revamp, not to mention those figurative road blocks associated with the opening of any business (especially a restaurant), owner Richard Yon and his dedicated team, are "plowing" the way to delight many a diner indeed.
Bottom line, don't be deterred by the detours..they're temporary...the wonderful experience of dining at The Warehouse may just last you a lifetime!
Read what other lucky Warehouse diners hav e said at Yelp as well as UrbanSpoon posts
